If there is one thing that can make the most impact on your neck pain, it’s your pillow. If you are seeing this issues, researching about the best pillow for neck pain is absolutely the place to start.

The good news is – this guide on just that. Rating the best pillows for neck pain based on the Menta statistical model that relies on customer reviews from all around the web.

What this means for you

To simplify – it means that all the research has been done for you and presented right here on this page. As I said, the ratings are not something I am pulling out of my hat but rather a fruit of weeks of research and data processing.

Here’s what we’ll do in this guide

Present the “winners” right away in a concise table along with their OQR (Overall Quality Rating)

Review each of them in more depth by looking at the specifications, the PROs and the CONs as reported by users

Provide some general reference information on choosing the best pillow for neck pain, in case none of the pillows on the list seem right for your needs

Reference information on choosing the best pillow

On the other hand, constant pain in your neck can truly be, well, a pain in the neck. Only if you have these issue, you truly know what I’m talking about.

But you didn’t think I’ll just leave you to roam the internet, searching for it, completely unprepared did you now? I’m here to help, and that’s what I’m gonna do. So if you’re with me, just keep on reading, and I won’t disappoint.

What I’ll do is give you a complete set of information you need for feeling confident when you hit the stores, knowing exactly what you’re looking for. So no matter what your case may be, in the end we’ll find that best pillow for neck pain at the end of the rainbow for you. Cross my heart and hope to nobody ever reading my guide again.

All joking aside, all those sleepless nights, waking up exhausted and irritable and lacking sleep in general can lead to some serious health problems. Not to mention it affects your quality of life in general.

Lack of sleep affects my health?! How so?

More than you can imagine! No two ways around that, you need to get a quality night’s sleep, or you’re risking big after a while.

Here are some of the aches that can hit you due to sleep deprivation: Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, clumsiness, weight gain or weight loss, hand tremors, saggy eyes… Sounds like nothing too bad, right? Try this on for size: Aching muscles, depression, increased blood pressure and risk of diabetes and fibromyalgia, hallucinations, memory loss, false memory development and much more, I’m trying not to freak you out here.

So we need sleep, who would have guessed, right?

So now when we know all this let’s see what we can do, so you don’t lose a minute of sleep ever again.

Sleeping mode engage (what kind of sleeper are you?)

So before we dabble into talking about all the different pillows in the world we need to see real quick what kind of a sleeper are you as it will determine the best pillow for you.

The point of using a pillow in the first place is keeping your head in so called “neutral-alignment”. It simply means your head is squarely sitting on your shoulders, with no reaching forward too far or bending backwards.

If you are a back sleeper – You will need a thinner pillow, so your head won’t be thrown too far forward. You’ll also want a pillow with some extra loft in its bottom third, so it can cradle your neck comfortably.

Only for side sleepers – Best pillow for side sleepers is firm, so it can fill the distance between the outside shoulder and the ear. You have to be careful with these pillows though, not to turn on your back while sleeping since it’s not designed for that sleeping position.

For all those tummy sleepers out there – You’re looking for a very thin, almost flat pillow. In this position, you might not even need a pillow under your head, but under your stomach, as it saves you some back pain later.

Now all you have to do is see which category you fall into, and we can move on with our ride together.

Let’s get some clarity on the types of pillows available

Ok, this might be the main course for today. Let’s talk about some common types of pillows and see what the best pillow for neck pain is for you. No time to lose so let’s get down to business.

Memory foam pillow – I’m sure you’ve at least heard of this one right? This pillow is following the contour of your neck and head. It arches at the part supporting the neck, cups on the head part and arches again towards the end making a border for your head top.

You can buy’em cheaper, made of foam fillings and sand, or more expensive, made of 100% foam.

It’s important that you know what kind of filling is used for a particular memory foam pillow. It’s the filling that decides whether the pillow will conform to your posture or you’ll have to adjust to the pillow. Good memory foam pillows will always conform to the shape of your body while the low quality won’t. So testing is everything here. Just note that there are some good memory foam pillows that adjust to your posture, but require a break-in time. These are also not recommended if you’re suffering from any kind of back pain.

So the filling of your pillow should have the right density. If density is too high the pillow will be stiff at lower temperature while the pillow with low-density filling will be too soft to provide adequate support.

This kind of pillows is recommended for people who suffer from acute neck pain, neck sprain or degenerative disc disease. The softness of this pillow is certainly an advantage for them, but simultaneously a disadvantage for people who like their pillows harder.

Chiropractic neck pillow – This is a foam based pillow with soft edges. Its chiropractic foam provides stable support, and memory foam layer throws in additional support and comfort.

This pillow certainly has a unique design, aligning the neck and supporting the head perfectly.

It also doesn’t aggravate some of the ear problems like the other high-density foam pillows.

It is recommended for people who are treating: headaches, tension, whiplash injuries even back pain.

It’s good not only if you suffer from back pain but also if you want to avoid it. It corrects the posture of your neck, reducing or even eliminating the back pain risk.

Orthopedic pillow – Many types of orthopedic pillows exist, but only one is specially designed for treating neck pain. It has a cupped center for holding your head tightly in place while you sleep. They have memory and therapeutic foam layers. Some also have a neck roll on the pillows lower edge, providing additional comfort and support.

It provides proper alignment of the neck, preventing snoring and insomnia. Also, it allows resting of your head at the height that’s just right, preventing that morning tension in your neck often leading to arthritis and neck stiffness.

Neck support pillow – Now we’re talking. This pillow has been used by neck pain sufferers since 1895. If your daily activities require you to bend your neck in odd shapes it will, after some time affect the normal curve of your neck.

When you’re buying pillows of this type be sure its shape is following the contour of your back and then rising to the top for neck support.

A good neck support pillow will correct your neck posture and loosen your nerve roots and tense spinal cord.

It should not be used for sleeping though as it will only aggravate the pain in your neck. So keep your sessions with it under 20 minutes.

Neck traction pillow – This is a small, inflatable pillow that is U-shaped so it can wrap nicely around your neck. It is portable so you can use it wherever, like when you travel or at work. You can use it while sitting, standing or lying down. Just put it around your neck deflated and stat inflating it to your preferred level.

You can start with 10-minute sessions and slowly work your way up to 20 minutes. The best position for using this pillow is lying down.

When it comes to sizes, these pillows mostly come in small, medium and large size. Nothing to it, just match it to your bed size and to your personal preference.

Get your pillow fill right

Let’s talk a bit about the pillows filling to give you a heads up on this also.

Among natural material, one choice would be feather or down filled pillows. They feel quite luxurious but aren’t that good for treating pain in your back as they offer inconsistent support.

The other choice is pillows filled with seeds or small pellets. They can suit you just fine if you’re looking for a firmer type of pillow. But there is a possibility of seeds shifting during the night which can affect the amount of support.

Cotton or wool filled pillows are providing you with decent support and comfort, and are great if you’re sensitive to some kind of chemicals.

As for manmade materials we have: polyester fill, foam and memory foam filled ones. They all provide good support and comfort, so it’s all up to you again. The memory foam ones are everyone’s favorites though, so there’s that.

Lightning speed shopping tips

The best pillow for neck pain must be comfortable, period, so you better test it before buying.

If you don’t want to provoke your neck further pillows with extra comfort is the way to go. Bit more expensive but they pay off in the long run.

If you’re changing positions during the night get a pillow that provides adequate support in all of them.

Get the softness level just right for your particular kind of neck pain.

Final thoughts

I hope I helped and that you’ll find the perfect pillow to rid you of that pesky neck pain. Play your cards right and this change alone has the potential of immensely changing the quality of your life:

Three things you need to know about James - he holds a degree in Materials Technology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he is a zealot for the great outdoors and he can never find his glasses.
In brief intermissions between looking for his glasses, he is the Editor-in-chief of BestAirMattressGuide.com.